We analyzed the transferrin (TF) and apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotypes of 164 probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and 239 cognitively normal elderly controls in Koreans. We failed to detect a significant difference in genotypic frequencies and allelic frequencies of the TF polymorphism between the AD group and control group (P>0.1 by Chi square test). The frequency of the TF C2 variant did not differ by the diagnosis when the APOE epsilon4-positive subjects and APOE epsilon4-negative subjects were analyzed separately (P>0.1 by Chi square test). The TF C2 variant did not influence the age-at-onset of AD independently or synergistically with the occurrence of the APOE epsilon4 allele (P>0.1 by ANOVA). The TF C2 variant did not confer a risk for AD in Koreans.